Holder for broom-handles or the like.



G. H. REIMER.

HOLDER FOR BROOM HANDLES OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. I9I6.

1,279,440. Q I Patented Sept. 17,1918

A 2% yl jjimj. W E

GEORGE 7H. REIMER,

OF FULTON, ILLINOIS, A-SSIGNOR TO PATENT NOVELTY COMPANY,

OF FULTON, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HOLDER FOR BROOM-HANDLES OR THE LIKE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 12, 1916. Serial No. 125,147.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. REIMER, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Fulton, VVhiteside county, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Holders for Broom- Handles or the like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to holders for the handles of brooms or other similar handles, and contemplates a holder of this kind made entirely from sheet-metal.

Generally stated the object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction whereby, as stated, the entire holder may be made from sheet-metal, only the clamping ball being of other material, and whereby the sheet-metal maybe sufficiently stiffened to prevent the distortion thereof when the handle is clamped in place.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a sheet-metal holder of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a broomhandle-holder embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation (the left-hand side) of said holder.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation (the right-hand side) of said holder.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a piece of sheet-metal bent into shape to provide a recess A having a vertically disposed back-wall a and a vertically disposed right-hand side-wall 1, one wall extending substantially at right angles to the other. The left-hand side-wall 2 is slightly inclined outward at its upper end, and is also bent outward and around to form the semi-tubular pocket B which extends up and down at the left of the recess A, this pocket and the right-hand side-wall 1 opposing each other at opposite sides of the front entrance to said recess. Also, the pocket is disposed outwardly a distance from the back wall, so that the broom handle will be held more effectively by the ball C. I The walls a and 1 are formed with an upper transverse head or ridge, 3, but this bead or ridge does not extend into the sheet-metal of the pocket B, for reasons which will presently appear. The lower end of the holder, however, is provided with a horizontal bead or. ridge 4 which does extend into the metal of said pocket B, thus not only stiffening the sheet metal, so that said pocket and the side-wall 1 are practically unyieldingly opposed to each other, but also .forming a' slight restriction near the lower end of said pocket. This restriction forms a stop for limiting the downward movement of the ball C, which is free to roll up and down in said pocket. At its upper end, said pocket is provided with an inwardly bent lug b which forms a stop to limit the upward movementof said ball. It will be seen that the outer edge 5 of this pocket 'B is a certain distance from, the inner bend or corner 6 between'thepoeket and the left-handside-wall 2, which distance is less than the diameter of said ball, where by the latter cannot escape from the pocket. It will be seen that this pocket B is inclined so that'it converges downward toward the side-wall 1,-whereby the ball C will gradually approach the side-wall 1 as it (said ball), moves downward. Thus the pocket and side wall form opposing jaws.

The method of useis as follows: The

Patented sept. 17 1918.

handle of a broom D, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when placed in the recess A with the ball C in an elevated position, will be gripped by said ball .when moved downward, as the ball will force the handle against the wall 1 and. thus gradually clamp it against further downward movement. g

For example, the handle can be placed against the holder, with the ball in its lowest position, and by a slight upward movement of the handle the ball will then be raised until the handle can fully enter the recess A, and then by moving the handle downward it will be clamped. The bead or ridge 4 near the lower end of the pocket B keeps the ball from dropping outof the lower end of the pocket, and serves also to firmly and somewhat abruptly push the ball forcibly against the broom handle, so that the latter is positively clamped against the wall 1, in a manner that will be readily understood. To remove the handle, it is only necessary to move it upward until the ball is raised sufiiciently to allow the handle to pass outward from the holder.

In 'the manufacture of the holder, the sheet-metal is converted into the shape shown in the drawings, except that the lug b is left unbent, and the ball C is then dropped into the top of the pocket B, the tubular diameter of this bucket being a little greater than the diameter of the ball. Then the lug b is bent over into the position shown in the drawings, so that it forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the ball. In

this way, the ball is permanently inclosed in the pocket, and can only be removed by distortion of the sheetunetal.

When the handle is clamped in place, it engages the beads or ridges 3 and 4 which bulge inward from the side-wall 1, so that the pressure of the ball, as it moves downward in the channel of the pocket B, is positively and unyieldingly opposed. As the side wall 1 is vertical, the broom handle D will be held vertical, notwithstandnig the inclined position of the pocket. It will also now be seen that the bead or ridge 3 is preferably omitted from the upper end-portion of the pocket, in order that the ball C may be inserted in the upper end of the semitubular pocket and then retained therein by bending over the lug at the upper end of the pocket.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A holder comprising a single section of resilient sheet-metal bent into shape to provide a recess (A) having a back wall (a) and a side wall (1'), and having also a pocket (B) disposed opposite the side wall and a distance outward from the back wall, said pocket and side wall forming oppositely disposed jaws, which pocket is semitubular in form, being open at top and bot tom and only at the side (5 and 6) thereof toward the side wall, and the side wall being vertical to hold a broom handle vertical, and a ball (C) movable up and down in said pocket, the interior of said pocket forming a channel which converges downwardly toward the side wall, whereby a downward movement of said ball in said pocket against the handle will crowd said handle against the sidewall, said holder having portions of the sheet metal at the upper and lower ends thereof distorted to form means to stiffen said jaws and limit the up-and-down movement of said ball and so that said ball cannot be removed from the bottom of said pocket and can only be removed from the top thereof by forcible bending of the sheet-metal at the top of said pocket.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means consisting of a horizontal bead (4) formed in the sheet-metal near the lower end of said pocket, so that the holder has a groove 011 the outside and a ridge on the inside, and a bent-over portion (6) of the sheet-metal at the upper end of the pocket.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said means including upper and lower horizontal beads (3 and 4) formed in the sheetmetal to stiffen the holder and enable the side wall and pocket to positively and un yieldingly oppose each other when the handle is clamped between said ball and said wall, the lower bead extending into said pocket to form a seat for said ball.

Signed by me at Fulton, 111., this fourth day of October, 1916.

GEO. H. REIMER.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

